Shake the Windowsills
by ovp
Summary: AU. "I know it's two in the morning." "It's two in the morning?" grimaced Wally blinking blearily at his phone's screen until the digits came into view to reveal that, yes, it was in fact 2:15 AM. "Can I come over?" "At two in the morning?" Spitfire.


So _**delirious-daydreamer**_ requested this for New Year's: _Could I request a drabble/story for whenever you have time? As I'm sure that you have a lot going in your life. A Wally/Artemis AU with them growing up next door to one another. I would appreciate it if it was more fluffy than angsty but I'm not bothered if that is the way inspiration goes. Thank-you and I hope you have a happy New Year._

I tweaked your idea a little bit but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Happy New Year's everyone may 2013 be full of YJ feels and season 3 announcements.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or its characters. _

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**Shake the Windowsills**

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Wally groaned loudly realizing that his phone was ringing. Burying his head in his pillow he attempted to ignore the blatant blaring of the Star Trek theme song but eventually he clumsily reached onto his bedside table and muttered tiredly into the phone. "Hello?"

"_I know it's two in the morning."_

"It's two in the morning?" grimaced Wally blinking blearily at his phone's screen until the digits came into view to reveal that, yes, it was in fact 2:15 AM.

_"Can I come over?"_

"At two in the morning?"

_"I think we've established that, yes, it is two in the morning. But…I just need someone to talk to for fifteen, twenty, minutes tops. I just…just want to calm down. Sorry."_

"Calm down?" Repeated Wally drowsily sitting up so he could stare out his window at the room in the adjacent house. "This is Artemis, right?"

_"Yeah, sorry, I just need twenty minutes." _Wally quirked an eyebrow jamming the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he yanked the window open letting in a blast of cold January air that literally forced him to pull the covers up to his chin.

"Coast is clear."

_"Thanks." _Came the relieved reply before the line went dead. Wally heard, rather then saw, his best friend's window open as she crawled out of the adjacent bedroom and crossed the one foot gap that existed between 16 and 18 Elm Street.

The Nguyen-Crock family had moved into the house next door when he was one and a half so there really wasn't a time in his life that Wally couldn't remember Artemis being there. They were the best of friends and shared a lot of similar interests - not many girls shared his obsession with superheroes and science. Although her attitude could be grating at times it also kept his ego in check and the duo were inseparable. Feeling Artemis's weight settle on the bed beside him he let out a foggy breath as the window finally slid closed behind her, he wondered when they had stopped yelling out childish secret codes between their windows and graduated to crossing into each other's rooms through the space they had nicknamed the "shortcut."

"Hello, asshole," she teased pulling at his Flash comforter so she could slide beneath it. "I brought Oreos." She smacked him with the box of cookies and Wally tiredly rubbed his fists against his eyes.

"A bribe? Artemis you know me well." Artemis snorted but didn't laugh at his usual corny joke, or least fake laugh to stroke his ego. He had sensed something was wrong from the phone call but this just confirmed it; Artemis didn't do needy or flustered.

"So," began Wally carefully, "What's up?"

"You didn't have to say yes you know," she began. "I was just being hysterical."

Wally opened the box of Oreos and crunched on one thoughtfully. "See already I have to worry. You and hysterical don't even belong in the same sentence let alone the same hemisphere. You've never been hysterical in your life. Remember when I broke my arm you treated me as if it was just a scratch even though I was bleeding and my bone was sticking out." The sixteen year old chuckled at the memory then sobered at his companion's piercing look.

"My parents are getting divorced."

Wally's eyes shot open and he hastily reached over to pull Artemis into a semi-hug. "Sorry."

"I knew it was coming. I mean," she began pulling haphazardly at the strands of hair that had tumbled from her ponytail, "Dad was never around and Jade just up and left. But Wally, I can't handle it."

Wally had known about her family situation for a couple of years now. It wasn't surprising when they had been each other's confidant for fourteen years, so it was no mystery to him that Lawrence Crock was a deadbeat dad with a criminal record. No mystery either how her mother had ended up in that wheelchair but that wasn't what they were talking about right now.

"Are you listening?" she hissed angrily poking his side. "I'm talking to you and you're acting like you're a million miles away."

"Is it really so bad?" Wally blurted out and if Artemis didn't know him better she probably would have kneed him in the groin for being so insensitive.

"Wally," she muttered and it was that he realized Artemis looked exhausted with puffy, sunken eyes and deep, purple bags framing her usually stunning silver irises. It was too dark to tell but she might still be crying. "My parents are getting divorced…I…I might have to move."

Wally choked harshly on the Oreo he was chewing. "You're," he punched at his chest never feeling more betrayed by food in his life. "You're joking right?"

"I'm tired." She responded crawling out from beneath the blankets beginning to fiddle with his window again.

"Artemis!" he hissed, "We're not done talking!" To emphasize his point he reached past her pushing down the window, stopping her shaking hands from pulling it up any further.

"I'm tired, Wally," she repeated and Wally realized just how close they were with his chest pressing firmly against her back while his arms boxed her in.

"I'm sorry for not listening before," he blathered. "But I'm totally on-board now. Lay it on me. I just," he paused collecting the aches and feelings swirling within him, "I just don't want you to **_leave_**."

He was an idiot.

Artemis stiffened and let out a quiet, almost unheard, whimper. "You don't know what you're asking Wally." Which was partially true. They had been dancing around this for so long that it was hard to tell what they were talking about anymore - her parents divorce, the fact the entire school was convinced they were a couple, his parents rather persistent insistence he ask her out, the fact that they both might possibly think of each other as more then neighbours and friends…Wally didn't know. He did know if Artemis moved away it would be terrible. No. Worse then terrible, but at the moment he was too sleep deprived to think of a proper analogy.

"I'm tired," she said simply before turning around in his arms and kissing him. "So tired." Wally wasn't even sure she was kissing him until he felt the featherlight pressure move away from his lips and the tingling sensation of cold and mint linger there. She wasn't even looking at him. Her eyes were hooded, and his blanket half splayed over her lap cookie crumbs and all.

All of a sudden what had just happened registered in his hazy mind and he blushed bright red. However, when Artemis leaned in again Wally frantically placed two firm hands on her shoulders.

"Not like this," stated Wally carefully. "I get that you're going through stuff, Artemis and I'm going to be there for you. But just not like this." Growing annoyed she shuffled across the bed and sat promptly in his lap and Wally for a good three minutes forgot how to think as she pressed against him.

"Please," she stated. "We'll just forgot it after."

"I don't want to forget it," said Wally stiffly pushing her away trying to avoid touching her creamy skin as much as possible. "Artemis."

"Ugh," she whispered frustrated, "Okay. Fine. Whatever. I'm leaving." This time he didn't stop her when she shoved the window open. He could remember when she moved in on that blustery Autumn day and he could remember when the first met her after he accidentally launched a bottle rocket through her bedroom window. The first day of school, elementary school, high school, AP calculus - they still told each other everything and they never let people's closed mindedness towards their friendship deter them - not even the cootie outbreak out of 1998 had deterred them. They had grown up together. And there was no way he was letting her go. She must know that. Screw adults they always messed things up anyways.

"Hey blondie," Artemis was half out the window and sent him a nasty glare when she turned around. "Think fast." He threw her an Oreo and she stared at the cookie evenly before taking a bite.

"Forgiven?" He asked reaching a clammy hand out to grasp hers.

"Forgiven."

"Artemis, we aren't going to let a stupid thing like your parents getting divorced and you**_ hypothetically _**moving away stop us. Tomorrow we'll figure this out, possibly over dinner?" Artemis raised an eyebrow delicately and her lips quirked soundlessly.

"You mean like a date?"

"If you count eating with my parents a date." Artemis rolled her eyes. "But for the record I would totally be okay with us dating."

She shrugged completely avoiding the question much to his chagrin. "Well I'm going to go back to my room before my leg falls off from frostbite." Leaning over she kissed his cheek her puckered lips maturing into a smile as she pulled away. "Thanks Wally."

"Night blondie."

"Night asshole." With that she crossed the divide and slammed her window closed. As he looked over at her frosted window pane (which she had drawn a very silly caricature of his face on) he smiled and whipped out his cellphone.

"It's three in the morning and I love you."

_"Thanks neighbor."_

"I love you."

_"I get it Wally."_

"I am like the best member of the neighborhood watch, ever."

_"Go to sleep Wally."_

"Artemis." He heard a dramatic sigh. "I'm always going to be there. Always."

_"I love you too." _And the line went dead.

"YES!"

"Wallace Rudolph West," his mother yelled sternly from down the hall. "Be quiet! You'll wake the neighbors!"


End file.
